CDC says opioid-addicted newborns in Florida exceed U.S. levels while only 10% of mothers get treatment

April 29, 2015
By
Novus Medical Detox Center

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The number of opioid-addicted newborns in Florida, like heroin and hydrocodone, has increased more than 10-fold since 1995, says a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And the soaring 10-fold increase “far exceeds the three-fold increase observed nationally,” the report said. The CDC added that only 10 percent of the mothers who used opioids during pregnancy received, or were even referred for, treatment for drug dependencies. Babies exposed to addictive prescription or illicit drugs taken by a mother during pregnancy can suffer a wide range of physiologic and neurobehavioral side effects. The condition, called Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), is terribly sickening and painful for newborns, and can be life threatening if not treated correctly.

CDC was helping Florida streamline patient information system

In February 2014, the Florida Department of Health asked the CDC to help assess the accuracy and validity of the state’s hospital inpatient discharge data linked to birth and infant death certificates. The state wanted to know if the information could correctly monitor NAS in the state, and if it accurately describes the characteristics of infants with NAS and their mothers. This new CDC report only focuses on the second objective – describing maternal and infant characteristics. The CDC studied the data for 242 confirmed cases of NAS during a 2-year period (2010–2011) identified in just three Florida hospitals. The conclusions were extrapolated to apply to the whole state.

97 percent of NAS babies had to be admitted to ICU

“Infants with NAS experienced serious medical complications with 97.1 percent being admitted to an intensive care unit,” the report states, “and had prolonged hospital stays for a mean duration of 26.1 days.” In other words, many, if not most of those 242 newborns spent nearly a month in the hospital being weaned off the addictive drugs. And the story would be the same at any of the rest of the state’s several hundred hospitals. The cost of such treatment can reach six figures for each infant. “The findings of this investigation underscore the important public health problem of NAS,” the CDC said, “and add to current knowledge on the characteristics of these mothers and infants.” Partly as a result of the CDC study, as of June 2014, NAS became a mandatory reportable condition in Florida – that is, diagnosed cases must by law be reported to the Florida Department of Health.

Mothers involved in cases of NAS need intervention

As to the lack of care offered or provided to drug-using mothers, the CDC says intervention should be increased, not just for NAS mothers but for all women of child-bearing age. Such intervention is needed to:

Increase the number and use of community resources available to drug-abusing and drug-dependent women of reproductive age

Only 1 percent of mothers used heroin, 99 percent prescription drugs

Once again, more evidence of America’s appalling abuse of prescription drugs: Over 99 percent of drug-exposed mothers were using prescription drugs, not street drugs like heroin. While the whole country is up in arms about “the heroin epidemic,” less than 1 percent of NAS mothers had used heroin during pregnancy. Here’s the whole drug-use-while-pregnant picture:

Less than 1 percent of mothers were reported to have used heroin during pregnancy

Approximately 82 percent of mothers were using one or more prescription opioids, such as oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, tramadol or meperidine

59.9 percent were using methadone and 3.7 percent using buprenorphine – both drugs commonly used for treatment of opioid dependence

40.5 percent were using benzodiazepines such as Xanax, Klonopin, Lorazepam / Ativan and Valium (diazepam)

After benzos came tobacco at 39.7 percent, marijuana at 24.4 percent and cocaine at 14.1percent

The reason for opioid use during pregnancy was unknown for 10.3 percent of NAS mothers

Only 10.3 percent of mothers apparently received or were referred for drug addiction rehabilitation or counseling during the infant's birth hospitalization.

Over 99 percent of NAS was from opioids

Nearly all infants with NAS – 99.6 percent – were exposed to opioids in utero, which definitely highlights the widespread issue of opioid use in women of childbearing age.

Women face many barriers in accessing any type of substance abuse treatment, which might also be reflected in the finding that only 10.3 percent of mothers of infants with NAS received or were referred for drug addiction rehabilitation or counseling during their infant's birth hospitalization, despite a high percentage of mothers with positive urine toxicology screen results.

Because abstinent detoxification during pregnancy is dangerous to the fetus, medication assistance is recommended as the standard of care for pregnant women with opioid addiction.

Bottom line, even one baby born dependent on drugs is one too many. Here at Novus, we deeply care about the situation, and take care to help all our female patients of child-bearing age understand the vital need for all pregnancies to be drug-free of any addictive or other toxic substances. If you know a woman of child-bearing age who is dependent on opioids, please help them to come off these drugs before pregnancy occurs. Have them call Novus, or contact us yourself and we will help.

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